Women need to engage in only half the amount of exercise that men do to reap the same longevity benefits, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
In the study, men who exercised about 300 minutes of aerobic activity per week had an 18% lower risk of dying compared to inactive men. But among women, only 140 minutes of weekly exercise were needed to achieve an equivalent benefit – and the risk of death was 24% lower among those who engaged in about 300 minutes of movement per week. (For both sexes, the longevity benefits appeared to stabilize after 300 minutes of weekly exercise.)
The researchers conducted a similar analysis on muscle-strengthening exercises, such as weightlifting. They found the same pattern: for women, a single weekly strength training session was associated with as many longevity benefits as three weekly workouts for men.
In the study, there is no cause-and-effect relationship. It is possible that it is not just exercise that makes people live longer, but that active individuals in the study may be generally healthier or have other lifestyle habits that enhance longevity.
In any case, follow the federal guidelines for physical activity, which issue the same general recommendation for adults in the U.S.: at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise (or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio) and two sessions of muscle strengthening per week.
Source: Time